Of Brothers and Family
by MayukoMorita
Summary: She tells him she'll be his family. He is a patient listener. Basch x Ashe.


**Of Brothers and Family**

(She tells him she'll be his family. He is a patient listener. Basch x Ashe.)

**A/N:** a plot bunny I had to do.

*casually googled crossbow maintenance for this fic*

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"Brothers are annoying!"

The little royal huffs as she storms into the armory. At this time of midday, only the newly instated Captain Basch (who, at six-and-twenty, is one of the youngest to be bestowed the honor) is present and is currently occupied with cleaning his crossbow. He's a little startled at the intrusion but smiles to himself when he realizes it's only Princess Ashelia.

"Majesty," he greets.

However, he is drowned in her following exasperation. "It is as if they have made it their purpose to endlessly vex me!"

He cannot remember how or why it started, but he somehow found himself the object of the princess' awe and wonder first, then admiration, and now friendship. Having the tenacious Princess Ashe constantly tailing him used to make him uncomfortable. For a while, she seemed like a second shadow. Eventually, he learned how to talk to her and grew accustomed to her company, even enjoyed it. And the young Lady Ashe is only too eager to fill her hours with the quiet but kind knight with stories of her and her brothers' conquests in the palace, of audiences in which her King Father allows her, of lessons that excite her (military arts, history, and magicks), of lessons that don't (music and voice), and, as she is doing right now, of how her brothers constantly find ways to provoke her temper.

Growing up with brothers is hard. Even more so when you're the only and youngest sister. Ashe is now telling him of how Aron, her fourth eldest brother, stole her practice-sword and proceeded to beat her with it and, when she wrestled him for it, cried for her governess, thereby resulting in her wooden sword being confiscated. She paces around as she lets loose her tirade. All the while, Basch listens patiently, saying nothing but understanding, always understanding, everything.

When she is finished, she blows a stray hair out of her face and plops down in front of Bash, arms crossed irately on her chest. She watches him polish the wood of his weapon.

When some silence has passed between them, he asks her "Has Her Majesty's anger passed now?"

She considers this and sighs. "I don't know. Perhaps."

It is now that Basch looks at her, with his deep and gentle eyes. "Your brothers love you. I know it not always seems like it. But you are their only sister, their darling sister. They will protect you to the ends of the world."

She does not hide how defeated she feels. She wants Basch to be on her side, but she knows he speaks sense. She picks up a crossbow bolt and turns it in her hands. "I know that," she says to the bolt, "And I love them as well. But they make it so hard to love them!"

Basch does not catch his smile and is only thankful the dejected princess cannot see it. "Try anyway," he tells her.

And with a final sigh, she closes the topic. But she does not leave and watches Basch finish tending to his crossbow before proceeding to the next weapon in need of maintenance.

It is as he's reaching for his sword when she asks him "Do you have brothers, Basch?"

He looks at the princess and considers how to answer her. "One. A twin."

Her face lights up at this new information about her dear knight. "Really? What's his name?"

"Noah." He smiles at her enthusiasm, even though he does not wish to discuss the topic further. He just can't find it in himself to curb her.

"Where is he? Is he in Dalmasca too?" The idea of two Basches delighted her. Perhaps Noah would join the Order of Knights too and she would have the great Ronsenburg brothers protecting her.

"I saw him last as our home was levelled. In Landis." He decides to leave the fact that he thinks his brother may be dead. But the look on Ashe's face tells him that she may have surmised as much. He is only sorry to have dampened her excitement.

"I am sorry. I should not have asked," she says quietly.

"Please do not think I have taken offence, Your Majesty." He smiles to assure her and is glad to see her smile back.

They sit in companionable silence as she watches him sharpen his blade.

"Basch?" she says after a while, "I can be your family."

The look on her face is one of utmost sincerity and Basch feels a rush of affection for his royal ward, for temperamental and headstrong Lady Ashe who is also just and kind, who would weep for every lonely child of she could, who is ready to be anybody's family. He looks at her with all the softness he can muster and tucks her hair behind her ear. "Your Majesty wouldn't be my family," he says, "You would be my Lady."

At nine-years-old, all she can take from what he said is that they can't be family because she's royal and he is not. She feels sad for her knight, for the home he lost, for the brother he lost, for the family she wants him to have but he has to refuse. But she will remember his words. And, perhaps, when she is older, she will allow herself to read into them further and imagine meanings that may or may not be there.

But, for now, she is his Little Lady, his Little Lady that is being called by her governess for noon lessons and lunch.

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**A/N: **yes, the entire fic was just a work up to the Gendry line.

Yes, I also ship Arya/Gendry.

**[edit]:** i just felt like adding that what really had this idea going in my head, aside from the actual quote/s by Arya and Gendry, is what Maisie said about the scene. she said she was given instructions to say the line "I can be your family" as if she was saying "I love you." i think about that a lot. and i think about basch and ashe a lot. and that's how this happened.


End file.
